I Knew A Man
by Emurlee
Summary: Set just after SOTL. One night, Kiala of Goldenlake wakes sobbing from a nightmare, a strangely vivid one. She knows it was not just a normal dream.
1. Chapter One

__

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except Kiala. The other characters are property of Tamora Pierce. Unless, of course, I sneak into her house and steal Alex. ^_~

****

A/N: This story is kinda confusing. It's got flashbacks, those are the text in italics. The bit at the beginning is a dream.

-The swords clashed together. He did not flinch, knowing he should die if he did so. Inside, something was screaming to him to stop, but he could not heed it, pushed on by something else that was stronger than he. He parried, then lunged, slashed, viciously, more viciously than he had ever fought before. He was cut, but not badly, not enough to stop him fighting on. The sword of his opponent flew away, and his lips curled into a smile, although something inside him fought it grimly.

-Then his opponent struck, kicking at him and throwing him against the wall. The breath burst from his body like an explosion and he fell; but was up again in a flash, charging at his opponent, cross-cutting at the woman in front of him. He cut her, but she lunged forward, one fist hitting his face; the other in his throat.

Kiala of Goldenlake woke, sweating in fear at the nightmare she had just had. Her sheets were soaked in sweat, and, she realised, tears: she had been crying.

She had never had a dream so vivid. She had been watching a man fight a woman, a brutal, terrible fight to the death- and yet, she hadn't been watching. Somehow she had also been in the consciousness of the man, knowing what he felt, seeing what he saw; feeling the pain.

The man hadn't been a stranger. He had been a friend of her brother's, the friend who occasionally came to visit, and although was somewhat older than her, had always been nice and paid attention to her, even when she was a tiny scrap of a girl. Now, she knew, he was in his twenties; she herself had just passed her twentieth birthday. He had last visited a year or so ago, she remembered, scrubbing her eyes with her hands, and she could remember every detail.

It was not hard. She had loved him ever since he had talked to her that first time.

__

"Kiala, is it?" he asked her. The child, ten years old, nodded energetically.

"That's right!" she exclaimed. "I'm Kiala! Most people think I'm my sister," she added ruefully. He smiled and ruffled her hair. "Are you my brother's friend?"

"Yes," he replied, still smiling. "I'm just visiting for a few days."

"Will he be going back to your home?" she asked shyly. He nodded.

"Soon," he told her. "But not yet." Little Kiala clapped her hands together happily.

"I'm glad," she informed him. "Would you like to play with my ball game?"

Behind them, Kiala's older brother began to laugh, and she glared at him. But his friend, whose name she didn't know, had a very serious expression in his dark eyes.

"I'd like that," he informed her, sitting down on the floor opposite her. "How do I play?"

Kiala smiled slightly at the memory. He had been a good player, beating her three out of five times, even with her brother sniggering at the door.

She wiped her forehead and tried to settle down again to sleep- it was late in the afternoon, but she wasn't well, and still felt queasy- but something was nagging at her. She knew something bad had happened that night, and was probably still happening: she could feel it in her Gift. And it was cold. With a sigh she sat up and directed her pale grey Gift at the fireplace, which began to flame, in a grey sort of way. After a second or two it settled into a normal, orange-yellowy colour.

Kiala brushed her chestnut hair back from her face and glanced out of the window. The sun was very bright, shimmering on the surface of the Golden Lake, turning it the colour of its name.

Something inside her shuddered, and pulled, and she gasped in pain. It was her Gift, and something was happening to it. Then it settled, and she sighed deeply in relief. Whatever it was, it was over.

Pain stabbed her in the leg, and she gasped, clutching at it. This time there was no doubt what it was. Her brother was being hurt. She had always had a closeness to him, one that was there even when they fought, a closeness that kept them together even though he went away when she was seven years old, and had very few holidays. She used to travel to Corus, the capital, to visit him every now and again, with her parents and sister, Kaera, two years younger. The pain continued to stab, and she gritted her teeth against it.

__

Goddess, please protect Raoul. she prayed silently for her brother. Then she added shyly, _and please protect Alex too. don't let anything happen to them._


	2. Chapter Two

__

Thanks, guys, I appreciate the reviews. =D In case you're wondering, yes I **do** have a bit of an obsession with Alex right now. ;)

It was just over a week later when the messenger came. He was travelling from Corus, he said, to Kiala's home in Goldenlake then to Tirragen, Alex's home, to give news of the fight, and of deaths. An odd expression came into his eyes when he said 'Tirragen', one of, Kiala thought, mixed fear and… and _hatred_. She gripped his shoulders.

"Is my brother all right?" she demanded of him. "Raoul? Is he all right?"

"He's fine, my Lady," the messenger reassured her. "A wounded leg, that'll give him a limp to show for it, I'd say."

Unconsciously, Kiala's hand went to the leg that had caused her so much pain that day when she had had the dream, the same dream that had plagued her through many days and nights.

"And… Alexander of Tirragen?" she asked nervously, an icy shiver going down her spine all of a sudden. "What about him?" The messenger's face darkened.

"You don't know, my Lady? You haven't heard? Tirragen betrayed Tortall. Treason, my Lady." He then went on to tell her exactly what had happened. Kiala's hands began to shake, and all the colour drained from her cheeks.

"And… Alex? Is he… all right…?"

"He's dead, Lady Kiala," the man said as gently as he could. "Sir Alanna killed him. She had no choice," he added as tears clouded Kiala's vision. "He attacked her. She was just better than him, that's all."

As Kiala's father descended the stairs, the messenger turned to him to report. The young lady fled past him, past her father, up the flight of mahogany stairs to her bedroom, soft and pink and safe. She flung herself on her satin-quilted bed, sobbing heartbrokenly. Her brother was safe, but the man she loved was dead.

__

"He-llo! Kiala!"

The girl stopped in front of him, a little bit breathless from her run to greet him. He was different, older, his muscles wiry and his eyes alert, but he was still Alex.

"Hullo," she said, her eyes wide and bright. "Alex."

"Hello, Kiala," he replied with a smile. "How've we been?"

"Good," she answered, suddenly shy. At home, the men had all been unattractive to her, all the people who came to visit her mother. But Alex, fourteen years old, was somehow so different to them. His dark eyes were sharp, with a kind expression that made her smile. His hair was not short, but not long either, and it stuck up at the back. He was taller than her, but a lot shorter than her massive brother Raoul, who suddenly appeared and swept her into a bear-hug. She giggled and fought, her eyes still locked in Alex's gaze.

They went around the market together, Raoul, Alex and she. She had barely any money, so could only examine the beautiful things on offer, but Alex seemed so rich. He bought several small things for himself, then suddenly presented Kiala with a small silver brooch shaped like an eagle in flight, and a silver necklace with a bird's-foot shaped pendant…

Kiala lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaking down tracks on her wet cheeks. She looked at her bedside table, on which lay the brooch and necklace Alex had bought for her.

__

"Because someday, you'll be an eagle yourself. Spread your wings, Kiala, spread your wings and fly…"

She heard his words as clearly as if he was in the room with her. He had been joking, smiling, but there had been an odd seriousness in his dark eyes. And she realised all of a sudden the significance of the dream she had had on the day of the great battle in Corus.

__

She had watched Alex die…


	3. Chapter Three

She set out for Corus two days later, determined to visit her brother, and to go and say a final goodbye to Alex. Traitor or not, she had still loved him, and she needed to say goodbye. The dream still haunted her, it would not leave her mind. The first thing she thought of when she woke was Alanna's fist crashing into Alex's throat, and it was the last thing she thought of at night. She used her Gift to keep herself awake, though it was not strong, and she used it to give her horse the strength to go on longer. She _needed_ to get to Corus, before the sight of Alex's death drove her insane.

To pass the time, on the long, lonely road west, skipping past Naxen and onto the Great Road, she remembered.

__

"Hello, Alex," she whispered shyly. The sixteen-year-old young man spun around.

"Kiala!" he exclaimed. She smiled. "It's been ages. How are you?"

"I'm fine," she murmured. "And you?"

"I'm all right." He seemed pleased to see her, which was definitely a good thing. Kiala didn't know how she got up the courage to talk to him in the first place. She was madly in love with him. He haunted her every thought, and at night she dreamed of him. "Kiala, you know Duke Roger? You remember… you met him last time, remember, two or three years ago?"

"Yes," she said softly, meeting his eyes. He had grown, but so had she, and he was now only four or five inches taller than her. She tucked her thick chestnut hair behind her ears.

"He asked me to be his squire." Alex sounded proud. "Not long after you left."

"That's great!" she exclaimed. She knew that being the squire to an momentous man like Duke Roger would be very important to Alex. But… she had not been sure she liked_ Roger, when she had met him. He had seemed cold and… and nasty, to her. But Alex liked him. And that was all that mattered to her._

"You're wearing the brooch," he noted with a small smile. She smiled back.

"And the necklace," was her reply, as she took hold of the chain and lifted the silver bird-claw out. "I really like them, Alex. I wear them all the time."

He smiled.

Raoul appeared, a huge grin on his face. "Kiala," he greeted her happily, sweeping her into his usual massive hug. She smiled and hugged him back, her gaze torn away from Alex's dark eyes.

She was on the road for several days, passing the time reminiscing of all the time she had spent with Alex. Most of the memories made tears fill her eyes. She still couldn't bring herself to accept that Alex was… _dead_. Gone. She couldn't think of a future without him. Most of her life, Alex _had_ been her future. She had not really thought of it as a dream, more like something that was bound to happen, something that _had_ to happen for her to be complete.

Now it would never happen. Alex's life had been cut off, like a candle blown out, or like snow in the warmth of the sun. There was nobody around to hear Kiala's scream of frustration, anger and grief, none except her horse, who snickered, startled. Kiala shrieked again and again, letting out the fury and anguish that threatened to overcome her.

~*~

Corus was as crowded as she remembered it. The last time she had been in this part of the city, she had been permitted to wander through the market stalls and shops with her brother, Alex, and their friends, Gary, Prince Jonathan, and Alan. She grimaced without realising it. Alan- Alanna- Alex's killer. She had been _friendly_ to the purple-eyed young 'lad', thinking he was a pleasant, normal young man. That was when he was still a page, just before Alex went away with Roger. She remembered it clearly. The Prince had been nice enough, but she had never worked up the courage to call him Jon, as the others did. Perhaps he would remember her. Maybe Gary would remember her, too. He had bought her a cup of lemonade when the heat began to get to her.

She rode through the streets, keeping a close eye out for pickpockets. She didn't know who would be in court at that time; but she dearly hoped Alanna had left. She did _not_ want to see that woman at all. Silently she cursed those purple eyes and quick fists that had killed Alex.

The palace was somewhat bigger than she remembered. Probably, she reasoned, because she was several years older than she had been, and she had grown a lot in those several years. A pair of guards stopped her at the gate.

"Palace entry restricted, ma'am," one said respectfully. "You've heard about what's happened. We'll need your name," he added, almost apologetically.

"I am Lady Kiala of Goldenlake," she said, sitting up straight in her saddle. "I am here to visit my brother, Sir Raoul, who I hear was injured in the battle."

"Oh," the second guard said. "Apologies, Lady Kiala. Go on in. Your horse will be stabled."

"Thankyou," she replied delicately. "Where might I find my brother?"

"With the healers, I'd believe, my Lady. I heard his leg was given a good knocking."

"All right," she said sadly. "Thankyou."

"Anytime, Lady Kiala." The gate swung open, and she nudged her horse into a trot forward through. A couple of stablehands hurried to take the tired horse. Kiala slipped out of the saddle and swayed on the spot, forgetting her exhaustion in her hurry.

"Are you all right, my Lady?" one of the hands asked, a little concerned.

"Yes," she sighed, as the feeling of dizziness passed. "Just a little tired. I've been riding hard."

She ascended the stairs and into the palace. Many people were hurrying around anxiously, clearing up after the battle still, rearranging the last of the disrupted ornaments and cleaning the walls and floors thoroughly. She stopped one of the frantic servants.

"Could you direct me to the healers' area, please?" she asked. The young man nodded.

"Down that corridor to the end, then turn right twice, and you'll see the big door. Watch out for the blood," he added, "we haven't cleaned down there yet, and there was a skirmish."

Wrinkling her nose slightly, Kiala set off down the corridor, and turned right as the man had said, avoiding the puddle of congealed, smelly blood on the floor. The healing area was just ahead: a large room, with rooms to the side. People lay in beds, recuperating, and healers dashed around nervously. Kiala estimated there to be about five or six healers, plus novices. She stopped one of them.

"Excuse me- is Sir Raoul still in here?" she asked, the tone of her voice and her trembling hands betraying her anxiety. The girl, not much older than Kiala herself, nodded and pointed.

"He's in the room there. Watch out- he's very crotchety." She giggled very nervously. "He insists he's fine, but I know he can't stand on that leg."

"All right. Thankyou." Kiala wove her way in and out of beds and people, into the room the girl had pointed out.

She recognised her brother's curly, dark hair immediately. He was sitting up in bed, gazing out of the window, looking very bored. She darted down the room to stand a little way away from the bed. He didn't turn around.

"Raoul," she said very quietly. He jumped and turned, and his eyes went very wide.

"K-Kiala?" he gasped. She smiled tightly, her eyes damp.

"Hello, Raoul," she whispered. "I came as soon as I heard." He held out his arms, and she fell into his familiar bear-hug. "Are you all right?" she whispered. "I was so worried…"

"I'm fine," he told her gently, letting her go. "They won't let me up. But Kiala… I'm sorry. Alex…"

"I know," she interrupted, her eyes filling. "They told me."

"Kiala, I know how you felt about him… I'm sorry. If I could have…"

"You couldn't," she said hoarsely, not letting him finish. "Alanna had no choice." She swallowed. "C-can we talk about something else?"

"Of course. Sit down." He patted the bed near his feet, and she sat shakily. Her brother winced very slightly, and Kiala's eyes widened. "Don't look so worried, I'm all right…"

"I felt it," she said quietly. "The day you got hurt. I felt it." She didn't tell him about the dream that had accompanied the pain. It didn't seem necessary.

__

"Kiala… Kiala…" Alex's voice was sing-song, joking. She jumped and turned around, and smiled.

"Alex… you startled me."

"I meant to," he said with a chuckle. "Kiala, I'm doing my Ordeal soon. In a month or so."

"You're going to be a knight?!" she spluttered. "Oh, Alex, that's wonderful! I had no idea it was so soon!" He laughed again, and she beamed at him. Sir Alexander, she thought. It sounded nice. Much nicer than just plain Alex. She sighed. She had seen the way the ladies doted on him. And they were all so pretty. Plain, boring little Kiala had no chance.


	4. Chapter Four

She was walking through the halls, passing time, when she saw someone familiar walking towards her. Her fists clenched unconsciously. It was Sir Alanna, the first female knight in centuries, and the woman who killed Alex. The purple eyes were sorrowful, even before they saw Kiala, and then the sadness deepened. Struggling to fight her anger, Kiala strode past, head high but eyes wet and misty, then started, surprised, as Alanna lay a hand on her arm.

"Raoul's sister?" the knight asked. Kiala gritted her teeth and nodded speechlessly. "You have his eyes," Alanna sighed. "Look. Kiala. Raoul told me… about you and Alex. And I am so sorry." Kiala was about to respond angrily, but she saw in Alanna's violet eyes that she really meant it.

"It… it's all right," Kiala whispered. "He was your friend too."

"He wasn't as close to me as he was to you." The lady knight sighed deeply. "Kiala, I lost loved ones myself that day. I know how hard it is to forgive."

The girl was about to respond testily, but something in Alanna's eyes made her change her mind. "It's all right," she said again, her eyes filling with tears. "I… I'll get over him…" It was a blatant lie, and she knew it- and so did Alanna. But the knight sighed again, and smiled faintly.

"I'm sorry," she said again, then turned away and headed down the corridor, leaving Kiala shocked at her decency. She had imagined a huge, dragon-like woman, forgetting how tiny Alan had been, but seeing the real Alanna, she realised that the knight was a couple of inches shorter than her.

She missed the friendly feeling when she thought about Alan. Now she felt hatred. It was dangerous, but she hated Sir Alanna.

~*~

It was that afternoon, she put her request to King Jonathan and Queen Thayet: clear the name of Alexander of Tirragen. She had a good argument for him. It was not his fault; it was the fault of Roger of Conté; and she knew she would argue that until the day she died.

The King refused. He did not try to argue with her. He refused to clear Alex's name.

Kiala returned to her rooms in grief-stricken tears.

~*~

She didn't do much, over the next few days. During the day, she wandered around the halls alone, or sat in the room that she had been given, but always alone. At night, she cried herself to sleep, the only thing in her mind Alex. Every night, she knew she was over-reacting, but suddenly her life was gone. She had set her heart on this one man, and now… now he was no longer there for her… even in dreams, he was gone, she couldn't dream any more…

It was a cold night when it happened. Slowly, feeling detached from the world, she pulled herself out of bed. She dragged on a robe, tied it, then wandered ghost-like through the halls. It was late, very late. Nobody was awake. There was a faint light from under a door ahead, but Kiala ghosted past it without a sound. She headed down stairs, always down, her mind cold and empty of everything.

The lower levels were totally deserted. Kiala moved through the rooms, cut off from the world, like she was no longer there. Then she came into a room, and she _knew_. She didn't know how, but she _knew_.

She could… _see_ him, see his lifeless body, on the floor beside the wall… Her eyes filling, she drifted over to him, crouching, touching his cold face… inside, something was crying to her, telling her that this was not real, but he was so clearly there, his nose broken, his lips pale.

Kiala knelt beside him, touching his cheek, his hair… she could _feel_ him, her fingers gently running over his cold skin, but still something wailed at her to stop, that this was not real, she was dreaming. That part of her could not feel Alex's body; it only felt the cold stone of the floor, but it was overwhelmed.

The tears spilled over and she whispered wordlessly, sobbing silently at the remains of her shattered life that so solidly lay in front of her, but at the same time didn't…

Her hand slipped slightly, and she touched her own side. Something hard was there, something she didn't remember putting on… a small dagger, in a sheath; she drew it slowly, watching the blade glint, then turning her attention back to the surreal body of her love.

"I'm sorry, Alex," she whispered, running one finger over his cheek, her hallucination growing more real my the minute. "I'm sorry… I couldn't help you…"

The breath spilled from her lungs as the knife sheared through her flesh, just below her breastbone, and she collapsed onto the floor where she had believed Alex's body to have been lying.


	5. Chapter Five

"Oh, gods…" Gareth the Younger of Naxen murmured, moving forward and crouching beside her limp form. He looked up, his eyes concerned. "It's Kiala."

The eyes of the three men with him widened.

"Are you certain?" Myles of Olau demanded, hurrying forward to look at the girl. He gazed at her pale features for a moment before nodding, and laying a cool hand on her cheek. He started. "She's alive."

"Alive!" Gary gasped. Myles nodded. He turned to one of the other men, a palace guard.

"Fetch Duke Baird. And Sir Raoul," he added quickly. "Hurry." The guard nodded and dashed away. The other, a younger man with bright green eyes, stepped forward, an anxious look in his eyes.

"Sir, I have the Gift," he said nervously. Myles stared at him for a moment.

"Can you heal?" he demanded. The youth nodded. "Well, get on with it, then," Myles said, stepping back from Kiala's form. "Gary. Stand back." Sir Gareth obeyed. The young guard knelt beside Kiala and lay his hands on the wet patch on her chest. He sucked in his breath.

"It's bad," he murmured.

"She wasn't attacked, was she," Gary said, looking at Myles. It wasn't a question. Myles shook his head.

"She tried to kill herself," he sighed. "Do you have any idea why? Any at all?" The young man shook his head.

"None. I haven't seen her for years."

A sea-green light had begun to pulse from the guard's hands, flowing into Kiala's chest, healing the wound. Myles and Gary watched anxiously. At last the guard pulled back.

"It's too much," he said, his voice not as strong as it had been. "The wound's too deep."

"Wait for Duke Baird," Myles sighed. He crouched beside Kiala again, pushing her chestnut hair out of her eyes. "Poor girl," he muttered. "She certainly found a good place. If we hadn't been looking for her, she could have been down here for weeks."

"You're right," Gary murmured, gazing at the motionless girl. Myles took the dagger from her hand.

"This is familiar," he said suddenly. "Look." He passed it up to Gary, who examined it closely.

"It is," he agreed, as Myles turned back to Kiala. He turned the blade over in his hands, staring at the engraving on the hilt. Abruptly he blinked, then blinked again, staring at it closer.

"This… this is the Tirragen design," he said quietly. Myles turned to stare at him.

"Are you sure?" Gary nodded as Myles took the dagger from him and looked at it closely. "It is…" he said. Gary's eyes were very wide.

"Alex," he muttered, staring around the room. "This is… this is where they found him, isn't it." Myles's eyes widened too as it dawned upon him. Before they could speak any more, people hurried into the room, the massive Raoul at the head. He limped across the floor to his sister, and crouched beside her.

"Kiala…" he said softly in a stricken tone. Gary and Myles exchanged a worried look.

Duke Baird, the chief healer, strode across. "Out of the way," he said sharply, crouching beside the girl. He looked at her quickly. "Alive. Only just." He laid his hands on her chest, in the same place as the young guard had. His magic was stronger than the guard's, and much brighter. There was silence for the space of two breaths, then Kiala coughed. Raoul let out his breath, which he had not even realised he had been holding.

"No…" Kiala murmured. "No… don't…" She weakly tried to push Baird's hands away. He didn't move. "No…" she said again, her voice stronger now as she gripped the Duke's wrists and tried to fight them away. "Let… let me go… don't…"

"Kiala," Raoul said gently, "you're all right. Don't worry. You're coming home."

Her eyes snapped open and focussed on his face.

"I don't want to…" she whispered, before trying to fight Baird away again. Her struggles were becoming stronger, and the Duke was having more trouble resisting her. But her effort was useless. Realising this, Kiala relaxed and began to wail.

~*~

Sir Raoul stayed by her bedside, day and night. She would sleep for an hour or two, then wake, but all she did was cry silently. She didn't even seem to recognise her own brother. He got almost no sleep in those four days.

"Raoul," a voice said from behind him. He twisted around in his chair and gazed into Alanna's purple eyes. "You look terrible," she informed him sadly. "Have you slept at all?"

Wordlessly, he shook his head. Alanna sighed and sat down in a chair nearby.

"Poor Kiala," she whispered. Just then, the girl opened her eyes. For the first time in days, tears didn't come straight into her eyes; she gazed silently at Alanna.

"Murderer…" she breathed.

"Kiala-" Raoul began, but the girl turned onto her side, tears pouring down her cheeks. Abruptly, all movement stopped.

"Ki… Kiala?" Alanna said, suddenly afraid, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. There was no movement, not even of breath in Kiala's lungs.

__

A/N: This Is Not The End!! ^^;;


	6. Chapter Six

A/N: Final chapter. Short and sweet, this story is. Sorry, guys. =(

"Where… where am I?" Kiala whispered, staring around her. All around was whiteness, bright white light, and she was standing on nothing, the whiteness stretching down as far as she could see. A figure was coming towards her. His face broke into a smile when he was close enough.

"Hello, Kiala," he said. The girl's lip began to quiver.

"…Alex?" she whispered fearfully. He smiled and nodded. "But… that means…" He sighed.

"I'm dead. I know it. And I guess that means you're dead, too." A smile trembling on Kiala's lips, she stretched out a hand to touch his. He was cold, but solid enough. He was almost exactly as she remembered him.

"Death isn't so bad," he told her gently. "It's a bit cold, and a bit dark, but it could be a lot worse."

"I don't mind," she said, almost crying. "I wanted it. I don't want to live any more."

Purple light began to pulse in the whiteness. Both of them looked around, Kiala afraid, Alex worried.

"What is it?" she asked, frightened.

"I… I don't know," he admitted, staring at it. Kiala felt something pulling on her, dragging her away. He chewed his lip.

"Alex? You… you know, don't you? What it is?" She struggled to stay where she was. He sighed and nodded.

"Alanna," he told her. "Her magic is purple. She's bringing you back- you're not dead."

"No!" she cried. "I want… I want to be! I want to stay here, with you… Alex!" Now the pulling sensation was stronger, dragging her backwards. She reached out to him, and he grabbed her hand, but he felt un-solid, unreal.

He let go.

"Kiala, go," he said, his voice neutral but his eyes sad. "You've got so much life ahead of you." Now Kiala took a step backwards as the pulling became almost too strong to fight.

"I haven't," she whispered. "Not without you… I love you, Alex, please don't make me go…"

"I'm not making you," he said, his voice betraying his sadness. "She is. I'll wait for you, Kiala. It won't be long. When you come here, I'll be waiting."

The tugging made Kiala make another step backwards. Alex stepped forward and tried to take her hand, but he passed right through her; she felt a cold, damp sensation, but nothing more.

"Promise?" she whispered. He nodded- his features were beginning to fade.

"I promise."

The purple light grew brighter and Kiala was swept off her feet, yanked away from Alex and into pitch darkness, alone and frightened.

She opened her eyes. Alanna slumped back into her chair, her breathing heavy and ragged. Raoul grabbed Kiala's hand.

"Don't you _ever_ do that to me again!" he gasped. "You almost scared me to death! I thought… I thought I was going to lose you, Kiala…" His fingers squeezed hers. She smiled shakily.

"Sorry…" she whispered. "I couldn't help it…" He smiled weakly.

"Don't do it again," he commanded gently.

"I make no promises," was her miserable reply.

~*~

It was only two days later when her brother found her in her rooms, lying on the bed, a neat cut on her left wrist and her small Tirragen dagger in her right hand. She had taken the only way out she knew; she had bled to death in her room alone.

The funeral was short, and very simple. Kiala never liked big displays. She was buried next to Alex, who had previously had only a rotting wooden cross to tell of his place of rest. The cross was removed, and a proper headstone added. Kiala lay next to him, peaceful in the still, pale sleep she would not wake from.

"Kiala wanted to go," Raoul said, his voice choked. "She's gone to be with Alex, like she wanted." He said no more.

Kiala's father said a few words, as did King Jonathan.

"She wanted Alex's name cleared. That was what she wanted, right to the end, and she fought for it, as best she knew how. Alexander of Tirragen's name shall be cleared. He was innocent of what happened. My cousin was controlling him; bending him to his will."

Alanna the Lioness also spoke.

"Kiala hated me. I was the one who killed Alex. I… I caused this."

"Kiala's death was nobody's fault," Myles of Olau told her gently. "She chose this. This is what she wanted."

__

Here Lies

Alexander of Tirragen

Died Year 1 of the Reign of King Jonathan III

His Name Was Cleared By The Sacrifice of Another.

Here Lies

Kiala of Goldenlake

Died Year 1 of the Reign of King Jonathan III

She Fought and Was Victorious For the Man She Loved.


End file.
